Tamerza, also written Tamaghza, is the largest of the mountain oases on Tunisia's far western edge. It sits where the Sahara rises into the Atlas foothills, with palms and running water tucked under bare ochre cliffs. The village itself is quiet, but the setting is one of the most dramatic in southern Tunisia.
The old settlement, Tamaghza el Gdima, was abandoned after catastrophic floods in 1969. Its roofless stone houses still stand above the modern village, sun-baked and partly collapsed, with the same colour as the surrounding rock. Nearby, the Tamerza waterfall drops into a small gorge that feels improbable after the dry desert road.
Tamerza is usually visited with Chebika and Mides in a half-day circuit from Tozeur. That is a sensible way to see the three oases, but Tamerza rewards a slower stop: climb through the old village, walk into the canyon, and wait for the late light to bring out the red and gold in the cliffs.
The Algerian border is close and firmly closed to travellers. Stay on marked roads and paths, carry water, and take local advice after rain; the same wadis that make the oasis green can turn violent during flash floods.